Save Him
by Klaus'sGirl
Summary: When her Mate, William Chidsey, is killed by her younger brother, Stephanie is sent away to the Tulsa House of Night. As the story unfolds, she must face loss and love, pain and joy, immortality and death. Being chosen by the Goddess, she is sworn to protect, to save the one who betrayed her and fell to earth, chosen to love the one who hurt her and countless before: Kalona
1. Chapter 1

**Hello readers! I hope you enjoy the story. I do not have the privilege of owning the House of Night but I do love it unconditionally and am dying waiting for the last book. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. **

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**Prologue: **

T_he Summer Games__ (Vampire Olympics) _

I was sitting behind the archers as they practiced. James and Will were preparing for the tournament later that day. James, my younger brother was concentrating really hard, but Will, my boyfriend of the past year and a half, wasn't as concerned. He had won the games last year and the year before and a lot of years before. We were joking around, trying the keep the obvious love off our faces in case someone came in, but it was hard. Our whole relationship was a secret because Will was a teacher at the Chicago House of Night and I was a fledgling. But by some weird twist in fate, we had fallen in love and Imprinted. He was a Son of Erebus Warrior at the school and without telling anyone, last Christmas, while we were in New York for one of my shows, he had pledged himself to me as my Oath Sworn Warrior.

It was beautiful. I was in NY for a concert I was doing and Will had been assigned to escort me to and from. We had taken a walk in central park and had found a white gazebo that was covered in winter roses, it had white Christmas lights rapped around the pillars and around it and it was snowing. Somewhere close by in the park, someone had been playing the violin. It was perfect.

_"Stephanie?" He said, as I looked out in awe at the beauty of the area. _

_"Yea." I turned to face him and saw that he was on one knee. _

_"I need to say something. I love you. I have since the moment I met you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, protecting and loving you. We've already Imprinted but one day, when you complete the change, I hope that you will be my mate. Well, you already are. I have considered you as much for a while know. But I want to be more than that with you. Will you, Stephanie Andrews, Priestess and beloved by Nyx, accept my Oath as a Warrior, to protect and serve you, and through you our Goddess Nyx?" He had such love in his eyes, that it actually brought me to tears. _

_"Yes," I breathed, "I accept your Oath." _

It had been beyond perfect, and made me smile as I thought about it. That night had also been the first time we had made love, which had been even more perfect. As these thoughts went through my head, I felt myself blush. Will looked back at me, with a smirk on his face, he caught on to my emotions, knowing what I was thinking about.

"I hope you aren't thinking about anything indecent, Ms. Andrews." He turned back to face the target as he notched the arrow.

"I'm only thinking of the man I love, and how much I love when he makes love to me." I said lightly, like any normal conversation. Will just chuckled, letting the arrow fly. It hit the centre of the target. I clapped for him and noticed James getting ready to let his arrow go. His brow was creased and he looked like he was trying to take a poo. I laughed a little at that. He hadn't been paying mind to Will or I, which was probably a good thing. He knew about us, but that didn't mean he liked when I talked like that around him. I watched as he took a deep breathe and let the arrow go, but it didn't hit the target, in fact it disappeared. I glanced over at Will, about to say something to him, as I saw the arrow reappear. Only a few feet from Will.

"No!" I screamed as I saw the arrow continue on its path, hitting Will in the heart so hard, that blood splattered everywhere and the arrow almost came all the way out the other side.

"Will!" I screamed as I bolted from my perch and hurtled over the barrier that separated the viewing area from the pitch. I ran to where he was lying, he wasn't breathing and I knew from the pain in my heart that my mate, my Warrior, my love, was dead. That's when the water works started.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1 **

_The room was dark and dingy, and I could feel the burn of the rope rubbing on my wrists as I pulled and strained against my binds. It was no use. I was sweating and knew that the demon inside of me would soon be birthed. I knew what would happen to me. The same thing that had happened to another girl in the village who had, like me, been unlucky enough to be fertile when the beautiful winged devil had defiled her. Been unlucky enough to become pregnant. Like me. Now here I am, tied up in a dark room, on a wooden table, sweaty and afraid. At first the pain was almost normal, nothing more than what I felt in my blossoming cycle, the damned thing. But the pain only increased. I could feel it, the monster inside of me. Unlike the other village girl, the thing inside of me was alive. I knew what it would look like. I knew what would happen to me. _

_"Please!" I cried, to the ancestors or the winged devil who sat in the chair at the far end of the room, I did not know. "Please, I don't want to die!" I cried as the pain increased. It could only be described as the monster trying to claw its way out of me. For that is what it was doing. _

_"Hush." The winged man said, standing and coming to me. He had no love in his eyes, only hatred. "Your voice tires me, do not speak anymore." he told me quietly. _

_"Pl-pl-please!" I whispered, as the pain increased. I screamed. I screamed and screamed and screamed. No one came. I was going to die and the only company I had was the demon that was clawing its way out of me and doing this to me, and the laughing beauty, with black wings and black hair, the golden eyes that I had once found so alluring now disgusted and scared me. There was no love in them. There never had been. It was always hate, always loathing, always empty. _

_He continued to laugh and I could smell the blood. I was on fire. The pain was indescribable and was getting worse. I looked down to see the skin of my enlarged belly moving and rippling, and just when I thought it couldn't get any worse. I saw the winged demon bring a knife down across my stomach. I screamed again, hearing for the first and last time the first sound my child made. The loud croak of a raven. _

* * *

I woke up screaming, not for the first time, and in more pain than I could explain. I could still feel it, the clawing and the burning, the knife ripping me open and all I could hear was the croaking. I was crying, loudly, curled up in a ball clutching my stomach when the Sons of Erebus Warriors came bursting threw my door, weapons drawn, scanning my room for danger. When their eyes landed on me, crying, sobbing, still screaming, curled in on myself in pain, they all came rushing to my bed.

My dorm room was on the first floor, by the front doors, and I slept with my window open. It was no surprise that the Warriors stationed out front the girls dormitory of the Tulsa House of Night had heard my screams. Everything was on high alert, what with Professor Nolan and Blake's murders. I don't know how I had been sleeping. My affinity for visions of the past kept me awake most nights; dreams of rape and blood and screams did that to a girl.

I continued to scream, as I rolled over, so I was crouching on my knee's with my face pressed into my pillow, clutching my stomach, trying to find the spot where the demon was trying to rip its way out of me. I felt someone touch my back, and the pain that was radiating threw my body increase. I flinched away from the touch, sobbing harder.

"Quickly! Run and get Neferet and Anastasia! Now!" One of the Warriors, the one who had tried to touch me, told another. I felt my bed shift as he knelt down next to me leaning on the bed. "Priestess, what is wrong?" He asked me, gently stroking my sweaty hair, it was unusually comforting.

"It hurts." I sobbed, "Make it stop hurting." I was washed with another flood of pain and screamed again. I grabbed onto the Warrior's hand, clutching it like a life line. It seemed like hours before Neferet, Anastasia and Dragon came into the room, but it was probably only a few minutes. By this point the Warrior whose hand I was probably crushing had ordered the others out, so it was just us in here. Anastasia was the first one to me. She crouched down beside my bed and touched the back of my head.

"Steph. Stephanie. Look at me." She said gently. I turned my head and looked at her. Her face paled. "Tell me what it is." She commanded, just as gently.

"Its trying to claw its way out, I can feel it ripping me apart, and it burns. I feel like I'm on fire." I sobbed, clutching my stomach again as more pain rippled through me.

"I smell blood." Dragon said from across the room where he was by the door.

"Roll her over." Him and Anastasia said at the same time. Dragon and the Warrior, gently rolled me over onto my back, and Anastasia gently lifted up my shirt. It felt like she was ripping off my skin. I screamed again, going to fold in on myself, into the comfort of the fetal position, but I was being held down. When whatever was under my shirt came into view, everyone who could see it, which was Neferet, Anastasia and Dragon, all gasped.

"Oh, merciful Nyx!" Dragon muttered.

"Pick her up and bring her to the infirmary." I heard Neferet say, the pain in my stomach was becoming too much and I was starting to fade in and out of consciousness. I fell into nothingness as I was put down and knew no more.

* * *

When I woke up my head was a little groggy but that was probably from something Neferet had given me for the pain. I sat up to two very concerned faces. Dragon and Anastasia, were looking down at me; Anastasia looked like she was crying, and Dragon looked worried. As my memory returned, my hand instinctively went to my stomach. It hurt. Dragon moved forward and started to adjust pillows behind me so I could lean back comfortably.

"Steph, can you tell us what your vision was?" Anastasia asked me as she came and sat next to me on the bed. I looked behind them and saw that it was just us. Neferet knew of my visions, but since Anastasia was my mentor it was her I went to with them, and Dragon had quickly filled the shoes of the father figure I never had. They had become my parents and I trusted them, which was hard to come by with me.

"The winged man was in it." I said, closing my eyes as the laughter of the demon rang through my head. "I was pregnant but the baby inside of me was literally clawing its way out of me. I begged and pleaded but he just laughed at me. I looked down and could see whatever it was inside of me trying to break the skin of my stomach. It was moving and rippling. It hurt so much. Then he brought a knife down and across my tummy, opening me up, and right before I woke up and it ended, I heard a raven. Whoever I was knew that it was the baby. Then she died and I woke up in unbelievable pain." I didn't realize I had started crying until Anastasia handed me a tissue. I looked up at them and realized where I was.

"Why am I in the infirmary?" I asked.

"I'll go, and let you handle this." Dragon said, kissing the top of my head, his wife and then leaving.

"Anastasia?" I pushed.

"I think it would be better if you saw for yourself." She said, getting off the bed. She pulled the sheets off me and lifted up my shirt. I gasped at what I saw. It was what I pictured the girl from my visions stomach to look like- just flatter.

"Oh. That's never happened before." I said, still a little shocked. The gash across my stomach was stitched up and there were lots of marks across my stomach. It looked like something with a beak had tried- and failed- to get out of me.

"Yes, it's a little worry-some." Anastasia said patting my hand, "But you'll get through it."

"I always do." I said a little breathless. Never before had something in my visions affected me physically- mental, yes- but physically? No. Anastasia squeezed my hand, and kissed the top of my head.

"Right now, you need to get some rest. You will heal, and everything will be alright." She squeezed my hand once more, before helping me lie down and leaving. I fell asleep almost instantly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! Here is the second chapter, I hope you enjoy! It's a long one, but its good. (At least I think it is!) Let me know what you think, reviews are very encouraged, without them I have no inspiration! :( So let me know what you think of the story so far. ;) **

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**Chapter 2**

This time when I woke up I was alone and feeling restless. I sat up in the bed and drank the water that was sitting on the table next to my bed. I was wearing one of those paper hospital gowns and felt way to exposed, thankfully someone had put some of my clothes on the table at the end of the bed. I grabbed them and went into the little bathroom off the infirmary room. Once dressed, I pulled my hair up into a bun, and feeling satisfied that I didn't look like I was going to die, left the bathroom. My shoes were also on the table, I sent a prayer to Nyx thanking her for Anastasia.

I opened the door and found that I was alone, which was weird. Ignoring that, I went down the hall to the stairs. I was a little stiff, and my stomach hurt if I bent over but other than that I was just tired. When I came to the door of the building that held the infirmary and the teachers housing. As I expected, there was a Son of Erebus Warrior stationed outside the door. He turned when I opened the door and fisted his fist over his heart and bowed.

"Priestess." He said respectfully. I mimicked the motion, but winced when I bent. "Are you alright?" He asked, noticing my grimace of pain.

"Yes, just a little sore." I relied with a smile.

"Would you like me to escort you to-" He asked.

"The dinning hall." I said, "And that would be very nice, thank you." He smiled back at me. We walked in a comfortable silence till we were just about at the door, where I stopped him and asked, "I was rushed to the infirmary yesterday by a Warrior, do you happen to know who it was? I would very much like to thank him."

"Ah, the Warrior to take to the infirmary was Darius. I hope you are better, I was stationed outside the girls dorm that night and you gave us all quite the fright." He said with a gentle, concerned smile. He looked to be in about his mid to late twenties, but as a vampire that could mean anything.

"I am much better, and I'm sorry for scaring you. Believe me, I scared myself." We both laughed at that as he opened the door to the dinning hall for me. He bowed respectfully,

"I am glad you are recovered, Priestess. Blessed be." He said, I fisted my hand over my heart and bowed my head, not wanting to hurt my stomach. I left him and walked over to the food. I was putting my food on my tray when all the cats came running in and I heard the familiar bark of a dog. A wave of nostalgia washed over me and I was very curious as to why a dog was here. I got my answer when the familiar lab came running into the room. At this point I was in the middle of the row she was in and Duchess and I locked eyes, and before I could so much as put my tray down, she was bounding over to me and had knocked me to the floor.

I was laughing and groaning all at once as the giant dog laid down on my stomach and started licking my face. I pushed her off and got to my feet just as James, followed by Dragon, Lenobia and a bunch of Warriors, came running into the room. I held onto Dutch's collar as James stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me, then smiled and came running over to me. I let go of the dog, who was sitting happily, panting. I met him half way, in and tight embrace that only hurt my stomach a little. James picked me up and spun me around while I shrieked. Duchess gave a bark and that brought us back to the real world. He put me down and put the leash on the dog we'd had since we were little.

"Hey, Stephie." James said, kissing the top of my head and giving me another quick side hug.

"Hi, Jamie." I replied, kissing his cheek. I hadn't seen my brother since I left Chicago a year ago. Dragon and the rest of the rescue party came up behind us.

"You see James, this is why it isn't a good idea to keep the dog on campus." Dragon said, looking at me curiously.

"Its Stark." My brother replied from where he stood with his arm around my shoulders, keeping me close. "I dropped James about a year ago, its just Stark know." I looked up at my brother with raised eyebrows. "Except for you, sissy." He said with his cocky smile, rolling his eyes.

"Sissy?" Dragon asked, looking between us.

"Yea, Jamie, here is my little brother." I gave the boy a squeeze. I rolled my eyes at Dragon, "I told you the new transfer was my brother. Remember?" I prompted, not wanting to remind him that when I had told him, I had just been reliving the loss of Will. I watched as Dragon's confused look turned to one of understanding, and he nodded.

"You are right.I forgot-" He was interrupted by Neferet, who swept into the room, looking ever bit the High Priestess.

"What is the cause of all this noise?" She paused when she saw Dutch, "And what is that?" She looked offended.

"This is a dog." I replied, very unhelpfully. I took the leash from my brother and pulled Duchess over to me, were she sat at my feet her big head resting on my thigh, looking up at me.

"It looks more like a bear." Neferet said.

"Dutch gets that a lot." James said, bowing respectfully to Neferet, before continuing. "She is a golden lab, not a bear."

"Dutch? Is that her name?" Neferet asked, looking at us both.

"Duchess." We said at the same time, before Stark continued. "It's short of Duchess, ma'am."

"And what is your name?"

"Stark."

"James Stark?" Neferet asked, looking between my brother and Dragon. "As in the transfer we've been expecting from Chicago?"

"Yes, Priestess." Dragon replied, "He arrived just moments ago."

"And how do you know our newest student, Stephanie?" Neferet inquired, turning to me.

"Jamie's my younger brother." I said giving him a squeeze again.

"Stephanie, you should still be in the infirmary." She continued on as if I hadn't said anything. James looked down on me, a question mark on his face.

"Well, I woke up and felt much better, and I know there is a Council Meeting later, so I thought I'd get some decent before hand." I replied, giving James a reassuring smile.

"Never-the-less. You should go back to the infirmary, I would like to make sure you are well enough to attend the meeting. I shall meet you in the infirmary in a few minutes." She gave me a look that clearly meant I needed to leave now. I turned to James and, ignoring everyone, gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Glad you're here, Jamie." I said, when Duchess barked, I turned to her. "You too, pretty girl." I gave her a kiss on her muzzle and gave James one more quick hug before walking off towards the door I had come through. One of the Warriors who had been with Dragon, came up behind me and smiled down at me, clearly I needed an escort. We walked back in silence and I waited for Neferet for a half hour. When she didn't show, I decided to go to her office and see if she was there. I had a sneaking suspicion that for some reason she didn't want me at that Council Meeting. There was no one posted outside this time, so I was able to sneak my way into the main part of the building where her office was.

I heard voices from inside when I got to the door, and deciding against eaves-dropping, I knocked. The minute I started knocking the voices stopped. I heard a few murmurs before the door opened, and Neferet, looking a little irritated and frazzled stood there looking at me.

"What do you need, Stephanie?" She asked, trying and failing to plaster a smile on her face.

"You wanted to give me an inspection before the Meeting. When you didn't show, I thought you might have gotten caught up in something, so I came to see." Neferet barley had the door open enough

for her to stand in so I couldn't see who was in the room with her. "But if you are busy, I'll just go back to the infirmary-"

"Let the girl in, Neferet." A voice I knew rather well came from inside the room.

"Of course, Priestess." Neferet ground out, reluctantly opening the door for me. I stepped into the room with a smile on my face as I saw the Vampire High Priestess, Shekinah, sitting behind the desk, with a similar smile. "Merry meet, Stephanie."

"Merry meet, Shekinah." I replied, fisting my hand over my heart and bowing, only to be left gasping as pain shot threw my stomach.

"What's wrong?" Shekinah asked, as she came around the desk to me where I had sat down to catch my breath.

"Stephanie's visions seem to be affecting her physically. She woke from one yesterday and was bleeding from a wound. She should be in the infirmary but I cannot seem to keep control over this one." Neferet answered for me.

"It only hurts when I bend." I said. "Anyway, it seems to be healing." I lifted up my shirt for them both to see. Neferet went into Healer mode and started to examine it as Shekinah gasped.

"Dear girl, what did such a thing."

"It was a vision. I would prefer not to talk about it. Or think about it ever again." I replied as Neferet continued her examination.

"Of course, Stephanie." Shekinah said nodding.

"Well you are right, it is healing quite fast." Neferet told me as she stood up.

"So, can I go to the Council Meeting?" I asked, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice. I had been overjoyed when Zoey asked me to be a Prefect and wasn't about to miss my opportunity to be that.

"You allow fledglings to attend Council Meetings?" Shekinah asked Neferet, her perfect eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

"Yes, there have been those selected to be prefects and they are allowed to come to some of the Meetings." Neferet replied, looking a little sheepish and irritated.

"Well, that makes sense, and you are one of these prefects, Stephanie?" Shekinah asked turning to me.

"Yes, Priestess. I may not be part of Zoey's immediate circle, but because of my visions, she thought to make me one." I answered with a smile.

"I like this Zoey's judgment." Shekinah said as she glanced at the clock. "Well, it seems we are running late. We should go to the Meeting. Stephanie, why don't you go ahead, I just need a quick word with Neferet."

"Of course, Priestess." I stood and bowed formally to them both before going threw the door that connected Neferet's office to the Council room. Everyone was seated, or standing, when I came in. There was a seat between Anastasia and Lenobia that I took. Anastasia looked me with a question on her face, but she didn't get the chance to ask when Neferet came in, looking even more frazzled, followed by Shekinah. I was the first to stand, since I knew that she was there. Everyone looked at me with questioning looks that faded the second the Vampire High Priestess came into the room. We all stood and bowed as she came to the head of the table.

"Merry meet." She said to us all as we stood there.

"Merry meet." We all replied together.

"I was, as I can see you all are, surprised and honoured by Shekinah's rare and unannounced visit to our House of Night." Neferet said, trying to regain her composure. Shekinah smiled at us, and I was hit, not for the first time, by how beautiful she was. She motioned for Neferet to sit, and after bowing a little awkwardly, she did.

"Were this a normal visit, I would, of course, have made the proper announcements of my coming and allowed you to prepare for it. This is far from a normal visit, which is only right because this is far from a normal Council Meeting. It is unusual enough to admit the Sons of Erebus, but I understand their presence here is needed in such a time of turmoil and danger. But even more unusual, there are fledglings present." Shekinah said.

"As I already tried-" Neferet started to say, but was interrupted by Shekinah, who raised a hand to silence her. Her knowing, wise eyes travelled around the fledglings, including me, until they came to rest on Zoey.

"You are Zoey Redbird." she said.

"Yes, ma'am." Zoey replied, looking really nervous but her voice held strong, unlike mine the first time I meet the Priestess.

"Then these four with you must be the fledglings who have been gifted with affinities for air, fire, water and earth."

"Yes, ma'am, they are." Zoey seemed to be getting more confident by the word, it made me smile. Shekinah nodded, and I saw something pass threw her eyes.

"I understand now why you have been included here." She tilted her head to look at Neferet, her eyes holding enough power to scare most. "You wish to use their power." I stiffened at that. If

Neferet was going to use me in the war against the humans she so foolish declared, I wouldn't even want to think of what she would make me do.

"I wish to use every advantage the Goddess has given us to keep our people safe." Neferet practically spat at Shekinah. I was dumbfounded by the lack of respect. I glance out of the corner of my eye at the others and noticed I wasn't the only one.

"Ah, and this exactly why I am here." Shekinah went on as if what Neferet said hadn't been totally disrespectful. "It was fortuitous I was making a private, unannounced visit tot eh House of Night in Chicago when word of your tragedies reached me. Had I been home in Venice, the news would have reached me too late to act upon, and these deaths could not have been prevented."

"Prevented, Priestess?" Lenobia spoke up. I looked at her, and smiled. She was very respectful, but her tone held a warmth of familiarity in it, like me, she had met the extraordinary vampire before.

"Lenobia, my dear. It is lovely to see you again." Shekinah smiled again, and her voice was just as warm and familiar as Lenobia's had been.

"It is always a joy to greet you, Preistess." Lenobia bowed her head, her beautiful hair falling around her face. "But, I think I speak for all of the Council when I say we're confused. Patricia Nolan and Loren Blake are dead. If you meant tot prevent their murders, you are too late."

"I am, indeed." Shekinah said. "And their deaths make my heart heavy, but I am not too late to prevent more deaths." She paused and said slowly and distinctly, "There will be no war between humans and vampires." Neferet shot to her feet, nearly knocking over her chair.

"No war? So we are to let murderers go unpunished for their heinous crimes against us?" I noticed a few Sons of Erebus shift in their seats, mirroring the shock. I always surprised me how these men craved battle. So unlike Will.

"Did you call in the police, Neferet?" Shekinah's question was asked in a soft, conversational tone, but I felt the power in it brush against my skin.

"Call in the human police and ask them to catch the human murderers so they can be taken before a human court? No, I did not."

"And you are so sure that you will not find justice with these humans that you are willing to begin a war." Neferet's eyes narrowed and she glared at Shekinah, but didn't say anything in response. "Zoey Redbird, what do you know about this?" Zoey looked startled.

"I know an honest human cop." She blurted.

"I think we all do, or at least I thought we all did until word came to me of this declaration of war-without so much as an attempt at allowing humans to police their own." Shekinah replied with a smile that lit up the room.

"Don't you see how impossible that even sounds?" Neferet's moss coloured eyes were flashing. "Police their own, as if they would!"

"They have, many times over the decades. You know that, Neferet." Shekinah's calm words contrasted dramatically with Neferet's passion and anger.

"They killed her, then they killed Loren." Neferet's voice was almost a hiss. Shekinah gently touched Neferet's arm.

"You are too close to this. You aren't thinking rationally." Neferet jerked away from her touch.

"I'm the only one of us thinking rationally!" she snapped. "Humans have gone unpunished for their vile deeds too long."

"Neferet, very little time has passed since these murders, and you haven't given the humans even the opportunity to attempt to punish their own. Instead you instantly judge them all as dishonest. Not all humans are, despite your own personal history." I was watching them closely and saw her eyes dart towards me. "High Priestess Neferet, it is my conclusion that your judgment in the matter of these deaths is skewed. Your love for our fallen sister and brother, and desire for retribution, has clouded your reason. Your declaration of war against humans has been rejected by Nyx's Council."

"Just like that!" Neferet's anger had gone from passionate to thin-lipped and steely.

"Were you thinking clearly, you would realize that Nyx's Council never makes rash decisions. They weighed the situation carefully, even though word of your declaration of war did not come from you, as it should have," she said pointedly. "You know, my sister, that something of this magnitude should have been presented before Nyx's Council for their consideration."

"There was no time," Neferet snapped.

"There is always time for wisdom!" Shekinah's eyes flashed, and I had to fight the urge to cringe back in my seat. Shekinah closed her eyes briefly and drew a deep, calming breath before she continued speaking in a soothing, understanding tone. "Neither Nyx's Council nor I dispute the fact that the murders of two of our own is reprehensible, but war is unthinkable. We have lived in peace with humans for more than two centuries. We will not break that peace because of the obscene actions of a few religious zealots."

"If we ignore what is happening here in Tulsa, it will be the Burning Times again. Remember that the Salem atrocities were also begun by what you would call a few religious zealots."

"I remember well. I was born a scant century after those dark days. We are more powerful now than we were in the seventeenth century. And the world has changed, Neferet. Superstition has been replaced by science. Humans are more reasonable now."

"What will it take to make you and the almighty Council of Nyx see that we have no choice but to fight back?"

"It would take a shift in the thinking of the world, and I pray to Nyx that never happens," Shekinah said solemnly. Neferet's eyes darted around the room until they found the Leader of the Sons of Erebus, Ate. "Are you and the Sons going to just sit by while the humans pick us off one by one?" Her voice was a cold challenge.

"I live to protect, and no Son of Erebus would allow any charge of his to be harmed. We will protect you and this school. But, Neferet, we will not stand against the judgment of the Council," Ate said solemnly in a deep, strong voice.

"Priestess, what you imply-that Ate should follow your desires rather than the Council-is unfair of you." Shekinah's tone was no longer understanding. Her gaze was fixed on Neferet, and her eyes narrowed. Neferet said nothing for a long moment, and then a tremor passed through her body. Her shoulders slumped and she seemed to age before my eyes.

"Forgive me," she said softly. "Shekinah, you are right. I am too close to this. I loved Patricia and Loren. I am not thinking clearly. I must . . . I need to . . . please, excuse me," she finally managed. And then, looking utterly distraught, she hurried from the Council room. We all sat there in silence for a long time.

"Your High Priestess has been through a terrible ordeal these past days," Shekinah said to break the silence. "I do not excuse her lapse in judgment, but I do understand it. Time will soothe her wounds, as will the actions of the local police." Her eyes moved to the huge warrior. "Ate, I would have you lead the detectives through the investigation. I understand much of the evidence has been destroyed, but perhaps modern science can still discover something." Ate nodded solemnly, and she turned her dark gaze to me. "My dear, would it be asking to much if I asked you to use your gift to see if you can find who did these foul acts?" Shekinah asked me. I sat there, with all eyes on me. I was about to reply when I felt the familiar tingle behind my eyes.

"Priestess, I mean no disrespect." I started, and brought my hand up to my head as pain shot threw it, the tell-tale sign that I was about to loose consciousness and be sent flying into the past. "But I am about to pass out." Anastasia put her hand on my arm, and Shekinah nodded her head in understanding.

"Matthias," she said turning to a Son of Erebus who was standing by the wall. "would you be so kind as to carry Miss Anderson back to her dorm?" I was fading in and out of consciousness and I didn't here his reply.

"Thank you." I mumbled, before everything went black and I felt myself falling.

_**I am in the midst of writing the next chapter! I am so excited! Kalona will be coming in soon! :) Have a great day! **_


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